One Day Remains
by labelbasher
Summary: COMPLETED...AU. ObiWan's parents didn't give him to the Jedi Order as a baby, however the Force still has plans for him. When he's 5 years old, he runs into Tahl and her padawan. I can't write summaries. Trust me, it's better than it sounds.
1. One Day Remains

One Day Remains

By Rhi

Hey everyone. This is my first Star Wars fic, but definitely not my first ever fic. One Day Remains will be the first story in a two-story series about a very AU version of how Obi-Wan came to the Jedi Order. The second part will be based on a plot bunny I adopted from the Plot Bunny board at TF.N.

Feedback is very much appreciated.

And last but not least, I don't own the SW characters, only the figments of my imagination. The title belongs Alter Bridge, from their CD of the same name.

Enjoy.

As your will is bent and broken  
And every vision has been cast into the wind  
As your courage crashes down before your eyes  
Don't lay down and die  
One Day Remains – Alter Bridge

-----

He was dreaming again.

He knew it was a dream, because it was the same as it had always been. Moments stilled in time flashed through his mind one after the other. A tall, golden-skinned woman. A huge, imposing building. A dark-haired youth. A feeling of nervousness. A small, green creature with pointy ears and sleepy eyes. A voice echoing through his mind – _"Far to come, far to go it is. Cold and warm it is. Seek what you are looking for you will. Find it here you shall. Listen."_

Then, as suddenly as it had started, the dream faded into black, and the stirrings of awakening filled the young boy's mind as his body clock informed him that it was morning and time to wake up.

"Obi-Wan Kenobi, get your butt out here right now!" a high-pitched screeching voice filled the room, causing 5-year-old Obi-Wan to awake with a start.

Immediately, Obi-Wan was torn from the pleasantness of his dreams to the harsh reality of his life. Taking one look at the bright light from the sun streaming through the uncovered window, he knew he was late, so he quickly slipped off the small sleep couch, and rushed out of his sleeping quarters and into the living area of the house. His mother, Cada, was standing there waiting for him, an impatient look on her face.

"Come on boy, your father wanted inventory started immediately at sunrise. What in the name of Corellia were you doing sleeping? Get your butt out to the shop and start counting before he gets really mad."

"Yes, mother." Obi-Wan said dutifully, taking off for the shop as fast as his little legs could take him.

The shop was attached to the end of the house, where his father, Kovi, stored and sold his wares, typical of a usual salesman. The only difference was that his father was one of Corellia's most prominent black-market salesmen. He had connections all over the galaxy, so he could get his hands on basically any black-market item you desired. Because of this, the house had received a lot of attention from CorSec, the Corellian Security Force, so Kovi had taken to stocking more legit items in order to provide a front for his black-market operation.

Obi-Wan pushed through the door that separated the store from the house, and cringed inwardly when he saw the look on his father's face.

"Boy, get over here." Kovi growled.

Obi-Wan pushed past his older brother, Owen, who grinned nastily at the 5-year-old as he did so. "Somebody's in trouble." He said in a singsong voice.

Obi-Wan resisted the urge to stick his tongue out at his brother, instead he picked his was over the littered shop floor to where his father was standing by the filthy counter.

"I thought I told you that I wanted inventory started at sunrise." Kovi said, shoving some papers into the small boy's hands. "Get started now, and you might be finished in time for evening meal." He then gave the boy a slight push in the opposite direction to get him moving.

"Yes, father." Obi-Wan muttered quietly, and made his way over to the shelves to begin the stocktake. It wasn't like the job needed doing. Kovi only made him do this because he enjoyed treating Obi-Wan like a slave. He'd been doing this job ever since last year, when his father had discovered that the boy could read. So, deciding to take advantage of that, he immediately put the boy to work in the shop, giving him the menial jobs that he wouldn't touch with a 5-metre vibro-blade. He didn't know who had taught Obi-Wan to read, and he didn't care why, he only cared that it made things easier for him, and that's the way it was going to stay.

Obi-Wan checked over the handwritten list, to see what items he was checking today. About halfway down the list was an item that always sent shivers down his spine – Force Suppressors. He didn't know why that particular item should have such an effect on him, he didn't even know what it was used for, but the name always held an ominous quality for him. Shaking off the chills, he flicked back to the start of the list, and began checking.

As Obi-Wan was in the shop throughout the whole day, he was exposed to the many kinds of lowlifes that stopped by. Some were regulars, some new customers, and some were once-only visitors who valued their anonymity and would probably never be seen again. Obi-Wan dealt with these customers in two ways – 1. Knowing when to speak, and 2. Knowing when to shut up. He couldn't count the amount of times there'd been an 'incident' because he'd said some kind of smartass comment that enraged a customer, leaving Kovi to clean up the aftermath. He'd soon come to realise how much he could get away with, and frequently walked that fine line, in typical Corellian fashion.

* * *

It wasn't until late in the afternoon that Obi-Wan finished checking all the items. He dropped the completed papers on the counter, then made his way out through the door, colliding with Owen, who was on the way in.

"Watch it, bantha-breath." Owen snapped, shoving Obi-Wan to the side of the doorframe, so he could get through. "Where are you going, anyway?"

"Out." Obi-Wan simply replied, turning his back on his brother and walking off in the opposite direction of the house.

"Whatever, nerf-herder." Owen shouted after him.

Physically, Obi-Wan and Owen could pass as twins. With only two years between them, there was little difference in size, except for Obi-Wan's undernourishment. Both boys had sandy hair with copper tones, and striking blue eyes. However, personality-wise they couldn't be more different. Owen took after Kovi, with his irritable, rancor-like personality, and disregard for the law. Obi-Wan wasn't like either of his parents, with his more tenacious, passionate nature.

Obi-Wan broke into a run, his short legs taking him further and further from the house on a path that he travelled often, through the less desirable area of Coronet, the capital city of Corellia.

He stopped running once he reached a familiar house. It was small, and rather run down, but the occupants had tried to liven up the place a bit, by planting flowers and trees in the largish garden. As he stopped outside the entrance to the property, a red head popped up from behind a bush.

"Obi-Wan!" the girl said excitedly as she stood up from where she was playing. She ran over to Obi-Wan, her long red hair flying out behind her, as she crashed full speed into the young boy, with the intent of knocking him over onto the ground.

Obi-Wan, however, was prepared for the onslaught and braced himself for the impact, twisting his body so that they would go into a roll. The two kids rolled until they crashed into a tree.

"Ha. I win. Better luck next time, Laini." Obi-Wan said, grinning cheekily, as he had found himself on top of her.

Never one to take losing gracefully, Laini pushed at Obi-Wan, rolling him back so that she was on top. "I think not." She said sweetly. "You should know by now, Obi, that I always win."

"Okay, okay." Obi-Wan grumbled good-naturedly, letting her have the victory. "Now let me up."

The two five-year-olds jumped to their feet and dusted themselves off.

"Where were you today? You said you were coming." Laini said, pouting slightly, as she had been without a playmate all day.

"I had to do inventory at home for father." Obi-Wan said, shrugging slightly. "I woke up late so he made me do more. I only just finished and I came right here."

"And what are you two cheeky ferbils doing?" Another familiar voice cut into the conversation.

"Hi, Sarini." Obi-Wan greeted Laini's grandmother with a wave.

"Come inside, I've just made some fresh cinna bread for you both." Sarini said, ushering the two kids inside the house.

The inside of the house was done up as brightly as the garden outside. Splashes of colour from various items filled up the otherwise drab house, giving it interest and a touch of happiness.

Obi-Wan and Laini took seats at the low table in the kitchen, while Sarini prepared slices of cinna bread for the two. She set a plate with a slice of still-hot cinna bread in front of each child, before taking her own and joining them at the table.

Sarini did this every day that Obi-Wan came over, having guessed some time ago that his family life was not as it should be. He was a skinny little thing for a boy of his age, and always ate hungrily whenever she served him with food.

The two kids finished off the cinna bread quickly, and were soon chasing each other around the small house, leaving a trail of disaster behind them.

Sarini, however, was used to this, so with well-practiced ease, she snagged each kid by the collar as they raced past her, and deposited them unceremoniously on a large cushion placed on the floor. "Stay." She said, giving the kids a fake threatening look. She wagged her finger at them for good measure. She then turned her back to the two kids and searched the bookshelf in front of her for the book she wanted. She tried to do this every time Obi-Wan came to visit. She knew that the boy would not be getting any education from his parents, so she took it upon herself to teach the boy the basics.

Laini giggled and poked Obi-Wan in the ribs, hoping to start up another confrontation, but was sadly disappointed when Obi-Wan merely swatted her hand away. He was always eager for a good story.

Sarini turned around, clutching an old leather-bound book in her hand. "I believe it's your turn today, Obi-Wan." She said, handing the book over to the young boy.

Obi-Wan received the book gratefully and flipped it open to a marked page, taking the time to notice the scent of the pages and the leather binding. He began reading from the place they last left off.

Princess Kita paced the small cell impatiently, pausing every so often by the heavy durasteel door, listening for footsteps heading in her direction. She placed every hope, every prayer on being rescued, because she knew the impending implications if she was not. A terrible war would break out, and that was the last thing this planetary system needed. A tentative peace had been reached, and she knew how important it was for the future of the system. She did not fear death, but she feared how her father would retaliate if she were killed.

She paused her pacing by the filthy sleepcouch that was bolted to the wall, and sunk down onto the grimy blankets, resting her head in her hands.

No sooner had she done that, she heard noises in the hallway outside her cell. She leapt to her feet and raced to the door. "Help! I'm in here!" she cried, hoping that she was heard through the thick door.

There was a pause.

"Stand back from the door." The muffled reply came through to her.

Quickly obeying, Kita stepped back from the door just in time, as the door was kicked in from the outside. She barely had time to step forward, when her two rescuers burst in through the open doorway.

They were two men, one older, one younger. Both dressed in tan-coloured robes, both emitting an aura of power. Relief flooded the young girl.

The younger one spoke first. "Princess Kita, I presume." He said, in a rich, cultured voice.

"Yes." Kita replied, "And may I request the names of my rescuers?"

"Certainly." The younger man said, his grin containing a hint of mischief. "My name is Jedi Padawan Kin Cetaph, and this is my Master, Tuss Orld."

The older man chose that moment to cut in. "Come, Padawan, Princess, we must be leaving now. I sense a disturbance coming this way."

At that, the two Jedi and the Princess took off together down the long duracrete hallway, leaving the Princess's dismal cell long behind them, all three off to save the planet, and to define the future of the troubled planetary system.

Obi-Wan finished the section and inserted the page marker into the book before closing it. He placed the book on the floor beside him and leapt to his feet, grabbing a long wooden spoon from the cooking area. He waved it around the air as he pretended it was a lightsaber. He jabbed it in the direction of Laini.

"I'm gonna be a Jedi Knight someday." He stated. "I'm gonna rescue princesses, and I'm gonna save the whole universe from evil!" He swung the dirty wooden spoon around, flicking bits of uncooked cinna bread from it. "I'm gonna be the greatest Jedi Knight that ever lived!"

* * *

...Rhi


	2. The Real Life

One Day Remains

By Rhi

Chapter 2

Thank you to all those who have reviewed, I greatly appreciate your feedback.

Enjoy.

-----

The twelve members of the Jedi Council sat in their respective chairs around the council chambers and watched as Jedi Knight Tahl and her dark-haired Padawan, Remy Turro entered the room, their light footsteps echoing slightly in the high-ceilinged room. They both stopped simultaneously in the middle of the chambers.

"You summoned us, Masters." Tahl said by way of greeting.

"Yes, we did. Mission for you, we have." Yoda said, his aged face wrinkling as he spoke.

Both Knight and Padawan looked slightly relieved. Both had been on temple leave for a month and were eager to get back into the field.

Mace took over the briefing. "You will be sent to Corellia. Corellian Security has apprehended a dangerous fugitive and have requested that he be escorted to Coruscant by Jedi representatives. It will not be a hard mission, but as always, be prepared for anything. Your ship will leave in one hour from Docking Bay 2. It should only take a day to get there."

Both Tahl and Remy nodded their heads and Tahl accepted a datapad from Mace, which contained further details of the mission. "Is there anything else that we should know?" Tahl asked.

"Hmmm." Yoda's wisened voice filled the room. "Help I sense you will need. From unusual places it will come." He then thumped his gimer stick on the chair to signal that he had finished.

"Thank you, Master." Tahl said, easing her body into a short bow, before turning and leaving the room, Remy following two steps behind.

* * *

The next morning, Obi-Wan was up at the crack of dawn, not wishing to make the same mistake that he had the previous day. He ambled through the kitchen, snagging a piece of tica fruit off the counter, before making his way into the shop, knowing that his father would want him to work in the shop today.

He gulped down the fruit in a few bites and tossed the pit of the fruit over his shoulder as he stepped past a trash receptacle. There was a clunking noise as it hit the bottom of the can.

He wiped his hands on his grubby pants and pushed open the door that led into the shop, where his father was standing at the counter, bartering with a customer over the price of a box of thermal detonators.

"400 credits. I won't go any lower than that." Kovi stated, placing a protective hand on the box of explosives.

"Too much." The lizard-like man said, his voice hissing as he spoke. "I can get them for 300 on Tatooine."

Kovi leaned forward, almost menacingly. "You're not on Tatooine." He said simply.

The creature huffed with indignation and dumped a handful of credits on the counter. He scooped up the box of thermal detonators under one arm and stormed out of the shop.

Kovi counted out the credits carefully, smirking as he did so, before placing them in a locked drawer for safekeeping. "You'll do good to take notes, boy. Never back down on price." He then snagged a broom that was leaning against the wall and shoved it into Obi-Wan's hands. "The floor could use a sweep."

Obi-Wan gave the stained duracrete floor a glance. "What's the point? It's not gonna get any cleaner."

"Shut your trap or you'll be on your hands and knees scrubbing it." Kovi threatened, giving the boy a quick cuff upside the head.

Obi-Wan knew that this was one of those times where talking was not a good idea, as he had no desire to stay inside all day, cleaning out the shop, so he quickly swallowed the smartass statement he was going to make, and started sweeping.

He was relieved when a customer came in and Kovi ushered him straight into the back room. He knew that room was where Kovi kept his illegal drugs, including the commonly purchased spice. The two stepped out of the room again a couple of minutes later, the customer tucking a small bag into the inner pocket of his thick jacket. Credits were handed over and Kovi smirked as he locked them into the drawer. "Nice doing business with you. Do come again." He said to the customer, knowing very well that he would be back the next day or the day after, even though he'd been sold enough spice to last him a week.

Obi-Wan finished up sweeping the shop and turned to leave when he was stopped by a firm hand on his shoulder.

"Where do you think you're going, eh?" Kovi growled.

Obi-Wan twisted around, shaking the hand off his shoulder. "I'm going out. I've done the floor. Can't you see? It's slightly less brown than it was before." He gestured to the still grimy floor.

Kovi glowered at the young boy. "I thought I told you to shut your trap. For that, you're going to _scrub_ the floor."

Obi-Wan groaned, but didn't say anything else. If he'd learned one thing in his short five years in the universe, it was to shut up before you got yourself into worse trouble. Annoyed with himself, he scuffed his feet as he made his way over to the supply cupboard and retrieved a plastoid bucket and a scrubbing brush. He filled the bucket with hot water and a cleaning mixture and got to work on the floor.

* * *

It was early afternoon in Coronet when Knight Tahl and Padawan Remy landed on Corellia. They were met at the landing strip by two sober-looking CorSec representatives – one was talking on a comlink, while the other stood by, looking worried.

As Tahl and Remy approached, the guard talking on his comlink hastily ended the conversation and clipped the item on his utility belt. He stepped forward to welcome the Jedi. "Greetings. My name is Commander Deine Paq, and this is Officer Oster Rush. My apologies, but I'm afraid that I must be the bearer of bad news so soon after your arrival. I have just been informed that Ris Threm has escaped from our custody. However, we have every available officer out on the street looking for him, and expect to recover him soon."

Tahl introduced herself and her Padawan. Outwardly, she seemed unperturbed at the news, however, inwardly, she allowed herself to feel a little frustration at the unexpected turn of events. Yoda's statement from earlier that day came rushing back to her. _Help I sense you will need. From unusual places it will come._ Maybe this was why she and Remy would need help. She had pondered that statement during the short journey from Coruscant, and couldn't understand why they would need help on a mission such as this. _Mysterious are the ways of the Force_, she reminded herself.

"Take us to your headquarters. We will aid you in your search." Tahl stated.

"I assure you, Knight Tahl, we have every available man out looking for him, although appreciated, your assistance is not required." Commander Paq said, becoming slightly flustered under the strong-willed Jedi's gaze.

"Commander, I have probably dealt with more criminals than you've seen people. One would think that Jedi input would be a benefit to your operation."

"Alright then." The commander said, not wanting to start an argument. "I will take you to headquarters and brief you on the search."

"Thank you, Commander." Tahl said, as she and Remy followed the commander and his officer to the transport that awaited them.

It was late afternoon by the time Obi-Wan had finished cleaning the floor. He'd ended up scrubbing the whole shop three times over, as Kovi had decided each time that the job was not good enough. He was just scrubbing the last section of the floor when suddenly, he felt himself fully on alert, as if there were danger nearby. His heart raced as he tried to figure out exactly what was going on.

An image of Laini flashed through his mind and he knew that there was something wrong.

Dropping the cleaning rag, Obi-Wan dashed out of the shop, much to Kovi's surprise.

"Hey boy, get back here!" Kovi yelled after the boy.

Obi-Wan ignored his father and ran down the road, not knowing exactly where he was headed, instead, letting his instincts guide him.

He ran, untiring, down streets, through alleyways and occasionally ducking through people's back yards, until he reached a park.

Corellia had always prided itself on its reserves and parks, and the park he'd ended up in was one of the largest in Coronet, backed by an area of trees and native bush, planted by some naturalists many years ago. The trees had grown tall and thick and at the present moment, held a rather ominous quality as they were cast in shadow by the setting sun.

"I have a bad feeling about this." Obi-Wan said to himself, as he paused, trying to figure out why he'd felt compelled to come here. A couple of seconds later, he heard a faint scream coming from the woods.

* * *

…Rhi


	3. Broken Wings

**One Day Remains**

By Rhi

Chapter 3 – Broken Wings

Thanks for everyone who has left feedback, and even thanks to the lurkers (cause I'm a chronic lurker myself). Oh, and sorry about the evil cliffhanger in the last chapter, I've made this chapter cliffie-free to make up for it.

Fun Fact: I got the idea for this story after watching Matilda on Disney channel one boring Saturday arvo.

Enjoy!

-----

Knowing that this was why he was led here, Obi-Wan took off in the direction of the scream. He continued running, dodging thick tree trunks, until he was quite a way into the woods. What he saw made him more mad and more scared than he'd ever been in his short life.

Three well-known bullies were standing over Laini, who was huddled in a foetal position on the ground, whimpering quietly. They were taking turns to kick her. Obi-Wan recognised the boys. He'd had a few run-ins with them before. He had also seen Owen hanging around them a lot, probably trying to make a reputation for himself by hanging out with older boys who were well-known bullies.

"Hey!" Obi-Wan yelled, getting the boys' attention. "Leave her alone!"

The three boys all stopped what they were doing and looked at Obi-Wan. The tallest boy, Tion, stepped forward, flanked by Laco and Rint.

"Well, well. If it isn't Owen's little brother. Tell me, why should we stop?" Tion said menacingly.

"Because if you don't, you'll have to deal with me." Obi-Wan said, trying to make himself look bigger and more fierce.

Tion laughed, the other two echoing him. "Do you like pain? I would've thought you had enough last time we beat you up. You don't even fight back."

"Just let her go." Obi-Wan growled, lowering his voice as much as his 5-year-old voice would allow.

Tion paused for a second, pretending to think. "All right. She can go." He said, dismissing her with a wave of his hand.

Obi-Wan pushed between Tion and Laco to where Laini was lying on the ground. A quick check didn't turn up any major injuries, apart from cuts and bruises.

"Are you ok?" Obi-Wan asked, helping the red-haired girl up.

"I…I think so." Laini said, her voice hitching mid sentence. Her face was smeared with dirt, and she had tear trails streaked down her cheeks.

"Come on, let's go." Obi-Wan said, helping her back out of the bush.

"Hey." Tion said, stepping in the way of the two. "I said she could go. Not you."

Laini and Obi-Wan looked at each other.

"No." Laini breathed.

"I'll be fine." Obi-Wan stated, even though he didn't truly believe that. "Go." He said, repeating it more firmly when Laini didn't move. "Go."

Laini took off running, glancing back at Obi-Wan before disappearing behind a cluster of trees. A twisting feeling wound its way into Obi-Wan's stomach as his imagination provided him with an apt picture of what was coming next.

Obi-Wan sensed the first punch coming and ducked just in time for the fist to sail over his head. Tion grunted in annoyance and aimed again. Obi-Wan managed to dodge the punches for a short while, until Laco and Rint decided that they wanted to join in.

Obi-Wan was brought down to the ground with a well-placed kick to the back of his knees, causing them to buckle. Once Obi-Wan was on the ground, he found it difficult to get back up, as the bullies were kicking him relentlessly, delighting in his pain.

This carried on for quite a while, until Obi-Wan decided that if he was going to survive this fight, he needed to do something. Trusting his instincts, Obi-Wan grabbed the next foot that kicked him, gripping it firmly. He tugged on the foot, bringing Rint off balance. Another tug brought the bully to the ground, momentarily blocking Obi-Wan from the attacks. Obi-Wan rolled away and leapt to his feet, fisted hands in the ready position, preparing to defend himself.

The bullies laughed. "Oh look, he's going to fight back." Tion mocked. "Let's see how the baby fights. Get him, boys."

Laco and Rint advanced on Obi-Wan, Rint throwing the first punch. Obi-Wan ducked and returned the punch with one of his own, catching Rint in the abdomen, because of their height difference.

Rint gasped for breath and clutched his stomach. "The brat winded me!" he wheezed, disbelieving.

At that, Tion and Laco advanced on the boy, attacking him simultaneously. Obi-Wan tried his hardest to defend himself, throwing the occasional punch when there was an opening, but he was tiring quickly. He didn't want to think of what would happen if he couldn't fight back.

Obi-Wan's muscles burned and his body screamed in pain as punches rained all over his body. He could feel his body about to give up. Black spots were starting to form at the edges of his vision when he heard the voice of a newcomer.

"Stop immediately." A strong male voice commanded. Obi-Wan could feel the power and authority in the voice, and evidently the bullies could too, because they stopped beating Obi-Wan and stared at the newcomer.

Obi-Wan's rescuer was older than the 10-year-old bullies. Obi-Wan guessed he was about 18 standard years. He had short, spiky black hair, and was wearing tan-coloured robes, folded intricately across his body. He had a protective hand on Laini's head, as she tried to make herself invisible by hiding behind his legs, too scared to face her attackers again.

"I suggest you leave now and not bother these two again." The dark-haired youth said.

The bullies looked at each other and decided that they really didn't want to deal with this right now. What was a fun beating up session had now turned nasty, so they ran off in search of some more defenseless kids.

Meanwhile, the black spots were threatening to take over Obi-Wan's vision and the small 5-year-old swayed on the spot, trying to stay conscious.

The youth noticed this and scooped Obi-Wan into his arms, just as Obi-Wan lost the battle to stay upright.

"My name's Remy." The youth said. "I'm a Jedi and I'm going to take you somewhere safe so we can fix you up."

Obi-Wan nodded, before he finally lost consciousness, the word 'Jedi' echoing through his mind.

* * *

Although Remy had been expecting the boy to lose consciousness, it still worried him. He quickly checked the boy's health through the Force and was surprised to find a strong Force signature.

_Why didn't I notice that before?_ He wondered, figuring that it was because he was too intent on the incident at hand to notice a Force-sensitive kid. _Something Master Tahl would want me to work on, I suppose._

After searching for Ris Threm, the escaped prisoner, all morning and most of the afternoon, Tahl and Remy had finally retired to a hotel room CorSec had booked for them. Tahl had wished to continue researching Ris Threm, to try and get an idea of where he would run to, but she had insisted that her Padawan go outside and enjoy the large park, a treat that he did not get so often. Because Remy was strong in the Living Force, he preferred meditating around living things. However nice the Temple's gardens were, they were no match for the real thing.

Remy had decided that he would meditate in the park, finding a secluded spot far away from the entrance. He had just settled down to meditate and was entering the first stages when he felt a little prod from the Force. He broke out of meditation and the first thing he saw was a panicked girl running straight towards him.

He remained kneeling, so not to intimidate her, and waited for her to reach him. She stopped in front of him and gasped for breath. It was then that Remy noticed her grubby, tear-streaked face, and the beginnings of bruises forming on her arms. Her bright red hair was knotted and bits of branches and leaves lodged in the tangles.

"What's wrong, young one?" Remy asked, lowering his voice so it would sound soothing to the distraught child.

"Tion…he's beating Obi-Wan. It's…really bad." Laini said, in between gasps for breath.

Remy rose to his feet. "Show me where." He said.

Laini grabbed his hand and ran back in the direction that she'd just come from, leading him to where Obi-Wan was.

A couple of minutes later, Remy was standing outside the door of the hotel room he and Tahl were staying in. Laini had pressed the door chime for him and they were waiting for Tahl to open the door.

When she did, she surveyed the scene with bright green and gold eyes, and quickly ushered the three into the room.

Remy strode across the room and gently lay Obi-Wan down on the sleep couch. Obi-Wan let out a small moan, but did not come to.

Tahl checked over the young boy, seeing how bad his injuries were. She looked up at her Padawan with a grim look on her face. "He's going to need a bacta tank." She said. "His injuries are too serious for me to deal with, and I suspect there's some internal bleeding and maybe broken bones."

Remy nodded. "I'll comm the front desk and see if they can direct us to the nearest hospital." He strode off to the comm unit.

Tahl was watching Obi-Wan when she felt a small tug on her hand. She looked down to find the scruffy, red-haired girl looking up at her, unshed tears shimmering in her green eyes.

"Is Obi-Wan going to be ok?" she asked quietly.

Tahl knelt down so she was level with the girl. "What's your name?" she asked gently.

"Laini."

"Well, Laini. Obi-Wan is badly hurt, but we're going to get him to the hospital where they will make him all better again." She said, trying to find words to put it in so that she would not scare the girl.

"Obi-Wan rescued me." Laini said. "Tion was beating me up first and Obi-Wan rescued me. But he got hurt."

Tahl was about to say something, but was cut off by Remy. "Front desk said that there's a hospital down the street a bit further. They said that there's a speeder we can use if we wish."

Tahl nodded. "Let's go then."

Remy gathered Obi-Wan into his arms again and he and Laini followed Tahl down to the reception area, where they were directed to the speeder they could use. Remy then lay Obi-Wan in the back seat of the speeder with Laini to watch over him, while he piloted the speeder down the road to the hospital.

At the hospital, they left the speeder in a loading zone, and burst through the front doors, Tahl leading the way, striding over the spacious reception area to the front desk. The nurse attending the desk looked shocked to see the state that Obi-Wan was in.

"We need to see a doctor right away." Tahl said firmly.

"Yes, certainly." The nurse said. She indicated down a long corridor to her right. "Go down there, in the fourth door on your right. A doctor will be in shortly."

Tahl nodded, walking briskly down the corridor to the room that the nurse had indicated. Remy followed two steps behind her, still carrying Obi-Wan, and Laini ran after him, her short legs not able to keep up the pace that Tahl and Remy were walking at.

Once in the room, Remy lay Obi-Wan on the bed, quickly checking the boy's health through the Force. The Force signature that was quite prominent before had now dimmed, indicating that his body was weakening.

"Master, if they don't do something soon, I think we're going to lose him." Remy said quietly, so Laini would not hear.

Tahl nodded, a grim look on her face.

Just then, the doors to the room opened and a serious-looking man stepped into the room.

"My name's Dr. Garm Peri." He introduced himself. "What's the problem?"

Tahl introduced herself and Remy. "We came across this boy, Obi-Wan, who had been beaten up by a couple of local bullies. I suspect his injuries are extensive, and may possibly require some time in a bacta tank." Tahl explained.

The doctor nodded, stepping towards the bed that Obi-Wan was lying on. He did a quick examination of the 5-year-old, confirming Tahl's suspicions.

"How long has he been unconscious?" Dr. Peri asked.

"About 20 minutes." Remy answered.

Dr. Peri nodded. He pulled a communicator out of his pocket and spoke into it. "Bacta tank to room A14 please."

About half a minute later, a portable bacta tank was rolled through the doors and positioned beside the bed that Obi-Wan was lying on. Dr. Peri began preparing the boy for the healing solution, injecting a sleeping drug into his bloodstream so he would stay asleep while in the tank, then strapping him to all kinds of machines that measured his heartbeat, regulated his oxygen and many other things vital to his health. He then picked the boy up and deposited him carefully in the tank, setting a timer after he did so.

"I think three hours should be sufficient to get the internal bleeding under control." The doctor explained. "He will need further treatment with a bone knitter after the bacta tank, as I suspect he may have a couple of broken ribs and a fractured arm. I have also put him on a VitaDrip, as he appears to be undernourished."

Tahl thanked the doctor. "Laini also had a run in with the bullies. Could you do a quick examination of her to make sure she doesn't have any major injuries?"

"Certainly." The doctor said. He turned to the red-haired girl. "I'll take you into the next room, where we'll get a nurse to patch you up, ok?"

Laini nodded shyly, and followed the doctor out of the room, leaving Tahl and Remy alone with Obi-Wan.

"Master, did you notice the boy's Force signature?" Remy questioned. "It seemed quite prominent."

"Yes, Padawan, I did. I'm surprised that he has not been discovered yet, especially on a planet such as this, unless of course, his parents didn't want to give him up."

"What if he hasn't been discovered, would we take him back to the Temple?" Remy asked.

"I don't know. I'd have to ask the Council and they would decide." Tahl replied.

Remy looked thoughtful for a second.

"Padawan, you aren't getting any grand ideas, are you? You know you can't help everyone." Tahl said, knowing her Padawan's compassion for other beings in trouble.

"I know, it's just I feel bad for him. He's obviously not got a very great life. The doctor said he's undernourished, so that either means he lives on the street or in a poor family and he gets terrorised by the local bullies. It's hard not to want to do something about it."

"I know, Padawan. I know exactly what you mean." Tahl said, nodding thoughtfully as Yoda's statement from the previous day came to her once again. _Help I sense you will need. From unusual places it will come._ Maybe Yoda was talking about the boy. Maybe he would find a way to help them out in something. _Something to meditate on._ Tahl thought.

* * *

...Rhi


	4. Take Me Away

**One Day Remains**

By Rhi

Chapter 4 – Take Me Away

Thanks so much to everyone for your feedback. And I'm glad you guys like Remy. This is a short chapter, but it fills in Obi's background a bit…but I won't tell you now, you'll have to read on to find out. Oh, and sorry I'm stretching out this story a bit with one update a week and all, but I'm stalling while I'm trying to get the sequel started, which is proving rather difficult…

Enjoy!

-----

Obi-Wan was dreaming. A new dream this time. Bits and pieces of action sequences flashed across his mind. Chaos prevailed throughout. There was lots of running. Lots of yelling. Sticks of yellow and blue light arcing through the air. He saw himself entering his father's shop and taking an item off the shelf. He saw a flash of light. He saw Laini lying on the ground. Not moving.

It was the last image that shocked Obi-Wan out of his dream. He sat bolt upright and gasped for breath.

Immediately Obi-Wan was surrounded by people. He looked around, trying to place who they were. They looked vaguely familiar, but he was sure that he'd never met them. It was only then that he felt the stiffness in his body, and the lingering pain from the previous day's events. He remembered where the pain came from, and the events came back to him in a rush. His eyes rested on the one person who was vaguely familiar to him, the black-haired, blue-eyed youth who'd rescued him. He also thought that the tall, golden-skinned woman looked familiar, but he was sure that he hadn't met her before.

"What's going on?" Obi-Wan asked tentatively.

"You are in hospital." A man, who Obi-Wan guessed was the doctor, answered.

"Why?" Obi-Wan asked, still confused.

"Do you remember what happened?" the black-haired youth asked.

"Some." Obi-Wan replied after a moment's thought.

"You had some bad injuries from the fight, so we brought you here so you could get treated." He explained.

"Oh." Obi-Wan said. "I don't remember your name."

The youth smiled. "My name's Remy." He said, then indicated to Tahl. "And this is my Master, Tahl."

Obi-Wan managed a weak smile. "Hi." He said. "Thanks for bringing me here. I think I have to go now, my father wants me to work. I have to finish cleaning. He'll be mad that I left." Obi-Wan pushed the sheets of the hospital bed back and tried to get out, but he was restrained by the firm hand of the doctor.

"Stay there, I'm not finished with you yet." Dr. Peri said. "I still have to heal your bones."

The doctor gently reached for Obi-Wan's arm, and attached the bone knitter to his right forearm. X-rays had shown that the bone was fractured, along with three ribs. There was already a knitter attached around Obi-Wan's midsection, and it was almost ready to come off.

"You'll be here for a couple more hours, at least." The doctor said. "Is there some way that we can contact your family to let them know what's happening?"

Obi-Wan hesitated for a second, before giving them the frequency for the comm unit in their house. The doctor wrote it down and went off to make the call.

"Where's Laini?" Obi-Wan asked, the image from the dream still fresh in his mind.

"She was treated after you were put in the bacta tank." Tahl informed the boy. "I had Remy take her home, so her grandmother wouldn't worry. She didn't want to leave you."

"Good." Obi-Wan said, relieved that the dream wasn't true. "I dreamed about her. It wasn't good." Then he remembered his recurring dream and he knew why Remy and Tahl had looked familiar. "And you were in my dream too!" he exclaimed. "The one I always have. Both of you. And a big building. And a funny-looking green creature."

Tahl and Remy exchanged glances. This had just got a lot more interesting.

* * *

After the dream revelation, Tahl and Remy had requested a private room where they could have a conversation with the Jedi Council. Both Jedi strongly felt that the Council should know of the developments.

"Hmmm." Yoda said after Tahl had explained what had happened. "Interesting, this is. Foresee this, I did. Unfortunate, it is."

Tahl didn't bother to hide her confusion at Yoda's statement. "What's unfortunate?"

Mace Windu spoke up. "We have had contact with Obi-Wan Kenobi's family once before, when he was a baby. They requested that he be tested, then refused to give him up to the Order. Normally we don't have a problem with that, but it was the manner in which they behaved that made his case so peculiar." He inserted a data chip into an audio player. "This is a recording of the conversation Knight Uteri had with his parents."

_"Greetings. My name is Knight Uteri, I believe you requested a Jedi representative to test your child."_

_"Yes, we did. My name is Cada Kenobi, and this is my husband Kovi Kenobi."_ A friendly female voice said. _"And this is my son, Obi-Wan."_

_"A pleasure to meet you."_ Knight Uteri said.

_"Come in, we have refreshments prepared for you."_ Cada had said.

_"Thank you."_ Knight Uteri said.

The conversation continued for a while, with the parents asking questions about the Temple training and the life a Jedi Knight led. Knight Uteri took a blood sample from the baby Obi-Wan.

_"The sample proves that the midichlorians in Obi-Wan's blood is well within the range accepted at the Temple. It is actually towards the upper end of the scale, quite a bit higher than average."_

_"Oh."_ Was all Kovi had to say.

That was when the tone of the meeting changed dramatically.

_"Thank you for visiting, Knight Uteri, but we really must finish up the meeting now. My husband is a busy man."_ Cada said, her friendly tone turned icy.

The surprise in Knight Uteri's voice was clearly evident as he spoke. _"Would you like to arrange another meeting?"_

_"No. We've got all we wanted out of you."_ Kovi said, rather rudely. _"I will not let the boy grow up thinking he's more special than the rest of this family. I will not let him think that he's better than us."_

_"A Jedi is not more special than any other being in this universe, and your son will not grow up thinking he's better than anyone else. Having Force abilities will set him apart from everyone else but-"_

_"Goodbye, Knight Uteri."_ Kovi said firmly.

That was where the recording stopped.

There was a stunned silence for a couple of seconds.

"So, what would you have us do?" Tahl asked.

"At this stage, nothing. It is a parent's prerogative to give up their child or not, and Obi-Wan's parents chose not to give him to the Order." Mace said.

"Humph." Yoda said. "Always in motion, the future is. A…kinder future, I have sensed for Obi-Wan. Wait, you should. An opportunity, I foresee."

"Thank you, Masters." Tahl said, both her and Remy bowing to the Masters, before ending the transmission.

"Well, that was weird." Remy commented.

* * *

Five hours later, Obi-Wan was finally released from the hospital, pronounced in full health. His body still ached, but that was to be expected, and the doctor said that he should feel normal in a couple of days time.

Tahl and Remy accompanied Obi-Wan for the journey home, saying that they wanted to make sure that he got home all right. Obi-Wan didn't say so, but he was grateful for their company. He didn't fancy getting beat up by Tion and his friends again, but that paled in comparison to what his father could do.

On the way home, they passed Laini's house, and the red-haired girl dashed out of the front garden where she was playing and enveloped Obi-Wan in a tight hug. "I was so worried about you, Obi." She said.

The group continued on again, with the addition of Laini, the red-haired girl keeping up a constant monologue as they walked.

"So, are you really Jedi?" she asked, waiting only for a nod before continuing to speak. "That's so cool. My favourite story's all about Jedi. And Obi-Wan loves it, too. He said he'd going to be a Jedi Knight one day and save the universe. In the story the Jedi saved a princess, and I wanted to be the princess, because she had red hair, too. And Obi-Wan did save me, just like the Jedi saved the princess, but I wasn't locked in a prison. Have you ever saved a princess? Did she have red hair? Was she really pretty?"

Tahl and Remy listened to Laini's monologue with amusement. Remy decided to humour the young girl. "Yes, I rescued a princess once. And she had red hair exactly like yours. And she was very pretty, just like you."

Laini grinned happily. "See, I told you, Obi."

Obi-Wan didn't answer, instead he stared ahead at the place where he stayed, dreading returning there, to the wrath of his father. He turned around, his back to the house that wasn't a home. "I don't want to go back there." He stated. The expression on his face was deadly serious.

* * *

...Rhi


	5. Crimson Regret

**One Day Remains**

By Rhi

Chapter 5 – Crimson Regret

This chapter has a heap of angst in it, and it ends rather abruptly, which annoyed me, but hopefully it flows well for the most part.

Enjoy!

-----

No one knew what to say.

No one had to say anything, because at that moment, Obi-Wan heard his name being called, angrily. He cringed noticeably, his eyes closing tightly, before his face smoothed over, silently accepting his fate.

Obi-Wan turned around slowly, facing his father, who was striding angrily towards the group.

"Where have you been, boy? And don't give me that bantha-poo story that you were at the hospital!" Kovi growled.

"But he was!" Laini exclaimed, trying to stand up for Obi-Wan. "He saved me from Tion and the bullies and they beat him up-"

"Silence!" Kovi demanded, fixing the young girl with a nasty glare. "Do not lie to me. The boy is a coward, and would not do that."

Appalled with the way that Kovi was treating his son, Remy spoke up. "Sir, your son is not a coward, he is a very brave and selfless boy."

Kovi turned his mocking glare to Remy. "And who are you?"

"My name is Remy, I'm a Jedi apprentice-" Remy was cut off rudely by Kovi.

"Jedi?" Kovi said, and spat on the ground. "That's what I think of Jedi. You so-called peacekeepers who run around everywhere waving weapons around. You think you're so much better than the rest of the universe with your special Force. As far as I'm concerned-"

It was at that moment that the chaos began.

A four-armed humanoid man that Tahl and Remy both recognised as Ris Threm from the mug shots that they'd been given, dashed down the road towards them, followed by half a dozen CorSec personnel.

The two Jedi leapt into action, both drawing their lightsabers and activating them, showing Threm that they meant business.

Threm stopped and dodged to the side, where he took shelter behind a thick tree trunk. From his defensive position, he fired from all four blasters on the CorSec personnel and also at the Jedi, who deflected the blaster bolts harmlessly into the air.

Obi-Wan saw the scene as if it were in slow motion. The CorSec commander yelled for his men to find cover, and they scattered under the heavy fire that Threm was sending their way. The Jedi worked hard to deflect all the fire, protecting the bystanders from injury, their lightsabers shining yellow and blue arced through the air gracefully, performing a mesmerising aerial dance.

"Just like my dream." Obi-Wan said slowly, knowing exactly what he had to do next, partly through the dream and partly through his instinct, which was currently screaming at him.

"What dream?" Laini asked.

"The dream I had when I was in hospital. Follow me, I know exactly what to do." Obi-Wan said, pulling Laini towards his house.

Obi-Wan dashed into his father's shop, Laini following closely behind him. He went straight to the items he required, and picked two of them off the shelf, ignoring Laini's questioning look.

"Trust me, I know what I'm doing." Obi-Wan assured her.

Laini nodded. "I trust you. I'm with you the whole way."

The two five-year-olds, weighed down with the heavy task that had been set upon them, raced around the back of the houses, cutting through people's gardens, until they got to the huge tree that all the neighbourhood children climbed. The tree was deserted at the moment due to all the chaos, and Obi-Wan and Laini had a good view of the fighting that was happening. They had managed to work their way around the perimeter of the combat, and were now right behind the tree where Threm had taken cover. He had either not noticed them, or he did not think that two children posed much threat to him.

Obi-Wan slung the strap of the illegal MX1-5 TranqShot over his shoulder and swung himself into the tree, climbing up a few branches until he found himself at a suitable spot. He pulled the TranqShot cartridge out of his pocket. The small dart was filled with a very potent, very illegal muscle paralyser. Side effects of the drug were nasty, but the weapon was a popular choice among the more sadistic bounty hunters, who enjoyed the pain and suffering the victim went through after being injected with the drug.

Laini climbed up the tree after Obi-Wan and settled herself into position behind him. "You can do this, Obi." She encouraged. "I believe in you."

Obi-Wan flashed her a quick grin, before sobering and focusing on the task at hand. He brought the TranqShot up to rest on a branch in front of him and aimed it towards Threm, who was still oblivious to the action going on behind him.

Obi-Wan took a deep breath and breathed it out slowly, pushing every irrelevant thought out of his mind, focusing his whole being on the task at hand. He leaned forward and looked through the aiming mechanism, aiming it directly at Threm's back, where he had the least chance of missing.

"One shot." Obi-Wan murmured under his breath. "Don't screw this up, Kenobi."

Checking one last time to make sure the shot was perfectly lined up, Obi-Wan pulled the trigger.

The TranqShot's internal components clicked together, resulting in the miniature explosion that propelled the potent dart out of the gun. The dart sailed through the air, unbeknownst to any of the participants in the little skirmish. The distance between the dart and the target closed rapidly, until both met, the dart satisfyingly sinking into the target.

Obi-Wan saw the dart sink into Ris Threm's back and let out the breath he hadn't realised he'd been holding.

"You did it, Obi!" Laini cheered.

Obi-Wan turned and gave her a grin. Then all of a sudden, he felt a powerful urge to duck, so he followed his instinct, as he always did, and ducked. At that moment, a red blaster bolt sailed over his head and hit Laini directly in the middle of her chest.

The happy expression on her face soon changed to a shocked one, her eyes wide and full of pain.

"No!" Obi-Wan yelled, propelling himself forward, trying to catch Laini before she fell. He felt his hand grasp the material of her tunic, before it slipped through his hand and she fell, almost in slow motion, to the ground, her small body bouncing once before it lay still.

Oblivious to anything else going on around him, Obi-Wan pushed himself out of the tree, landing next to his fallen friend. He gently pushed her red hair away from her face.

"Please be okay, Laini." Obi-Wan said. "Please be okay."

Obi-Wan barely noticed Remy and Tahl arrive, the latter beginning to perform what healing techniques she remembered from her training.

"Is she going to be okay?" Obi-Wan asked, desperation lining his voice.

"I hope so." Remy answered Obi-Wan's question, not letting doubt creep into his voice. It was a bad wound, and she was quite young. Not the best combination, but then, he had seen people with worse wounds pull through. "Don't lose hope, Obi. Be strong for her."

Obi-Wan nodded as paramedics appeared out of nowhere, surrounding Laini's still body.

Remy pulled Obi-Wan back from Laini as the paramedics lifted her onto a grav-bed, which they used to transport her to a waiting speeder that took off in the direction of the hospital.

Now that Laini had been taken care of, Obi-Wan looked around the scene. The CorSec people had swooped in and arrested Ris Threm as soon as he'd gone under the effects of the muscle paralyser, and were currently loading him into a fortified speeder for transport back to a holding cell, in preparation for his trip to Coruscant. Tahl had gone to talk to Commander Deine Paq, to arrange a travel time for the next day.

All of a sudden, the ending part of the dream that he'd had when he was in hospital came to Obi-Wan. An image of Laini lying still on the ground projected itself in his mind, casting a new bolt of sadness infused with irritation through Obi-Wan.

"I could've stopped it." He said quietly, disbelieving.

Remy heard Obi-Wan's quiet statement. "No, Obi-Wan, you could not have stopped that. Don't put that responsibility on yourself."

"But I saw it in my dream. It happened exactly like my dream. How could I forget?" Obi-Wan asked Remy, his pain-filled blue eyes staring up at the Jedi.

Remy knelt down so that he was on the same level as Obi-Wan. "There are some things in life that happen for a reason. No one knows why they happen, but they just do. You have to learn from these experiences and keep them in your heart. Don't let it rule how you act, but let it be there to serve as a reminder." Remy said gently.

Obi-Wan nodded solemnly. "I will try."

* * *

...Rhi


	6. Let Me Go

**One Day Remains**

By Rhi

Chapter 6 – Let Me Go

Sorry about the shortness of this chapter. And there's only one more chapter of this story to go…

-----

Two standard hours later, Obi-Wan, Tahl and Remy were in the waiting room of the hospital. Laini was still in the bacta tank, and although Tahl had done all the Force healing she could, the young girl's life still hung in the balance, and it would be a little while longer before the doctors would know for certain what the outcome would be.

Obi-Wan had grown bored of sitting still in a chair, and had taken to walking around the room in an effort to pass the slow-moving time. Tahl had entered into a light meditation, and Remy was sitting in the corner of the room, watching young Obi-Wan.

Suddenly, Obi-Wan's parents burst into the room.

"Come on, boy. We're leaving." Kovi said.

Obi-Wan looked at his father with a confused look on his face. "I can meet you at home later." He said.

"No, you bantha-brain. We're leaving the planet. And we're not coming back." Kovi said. He crossed the room and grabbed Obi-Wan by the arm roughly.

Obi-Wan stood his ground and tried to pull his arm away. "I'm not going." He said firmly.

"You insolent little brat. Where would you go? You've got nowhere to go but with us." Kovi said, pulling Obi-Wan towards the door.

"That's not true." Remy spoke up, startling Kovi, who had not noticed the youth sitting in the corner.

"And where would you take him? The Jedi temple?" Kovi mocked.

"Actually, we would." Tahl spoke up, having broken out of her light meditation. "Your son has Force abilities, as I'm sure you're aware, and he would be accepted into the temple for training."

There was a brief silence.

Cada spoke up from where she'd been watching by the door. "Perhaps we should let him go." She said to Kovi.

Kovi looked stunned at his wife's comment. "But you hate the Jedi." He protested.

"No, Kovi. You hate the Jedi." She corrected. "I think our son deserves to live the life he was obviously destined for. And if that is with the Jedi, then so be it."

Kovi looked torn, he looked from Obi-Wan, whose arm he was still gripping, to his wife. Finally, he released Obi-Wan's arm. Obi-Wan pulled his arm into his body and rubbed the area where it had been gripped.

"So be it." Kovi echoed his wife's last words, a rare sound of defeat in his voice.

Kovi and Cada turned to leave, but before they could walk out the door, Obi-Wan called for them to stop. The young boy ran across the room and wrapped his arms around the waist of the only mother he had ever known. Unused to the show of affection, Cada hesitantly returned the embrace.

"Thank you." Obi-Wan said, pulling from the embrace. He turned to his father and repeated the embrace.

"Goodbye…Dad." Obi-Wan said once he'd pulled away, using the familial title for his father that he had never used before, his forgiving nature shining through.

"Goodbye…Obi-Wan." Kovi returned hesitantly, using Obi-Wan's name, rather than just 'boy'.

Then they were gone.

* * *

Tahl and Remy stood in the same private room that they had before, a hologram of the Jedi Council spread over the table before them.

Tahl had just finished briefing the council on the events that had just transpired, including Obi-Wan's parents giving him up to the Jedi Order.

Yoda looked pleased when he replied. "Good, this is. Bring Obi-Wan back, you must."

The other council members nodded at what Yoda said.

"We are scheduled to arrive at 1500 standard hours tomorrow. Please inform the authorities so they have further transportation for Ris Threm." Tahl notified the council.

"We shall do that. Is there anything else?" Mace Windu said.

"No, Masters." Tahl said, she and Remy bowing before signing off.

* * *

Later on that evening, the doctor stepped into the waiting room to inform the three that Laini had come out of the bacta tank, and she was awake.

Remy woke Obi-Wan, who had fallen asleep, and the three followed the doctor down the corridor, into the room where Laini was.

They entered the room and Obi-Wan ran straight over to the bed where Laini was lying. He immediately started apologising for what happened.

"Stop." Laini said weakly. "It's not your fault, Obi. I'm fine, so stop worrying."

Obi-Wan smiled weakly at Laini. "But I still feel bad."

"That's a good thing." Laini said, wise beyond her few years. "I would be worried if you didn't."

Obi-Wan reached up and wrapped his arms around his best friend, who returned the hug gratefully. "My family has left." He told her. "They've left the planet forever."

Laini looked shocked. "What are you going to do?"

"I'm going back to Coruscant with Tahl and Remy. They said I'm going to be a Jedi." Obi-Wan said, the reality of what was happening beginning to sink in.

Laini grinned. "That's so cool." Her smile faltered. "When are you leaving?"

"Tomorrow morning." Obi-Wan said.

"So soon." Laini said quietly. "I'm going to miss you, Obi."

"And I you." Obi-Wan returned.


	7. Right Where I Belong

**One Day Remains**

By Rhi

Chapter 7 – Right Where I Belong

Hey everyone, this is the final chapter of One Day Remains. Sad, yes, I know. It's been my baby for so long. I would really appreciate it if you could leave me some final feedback on the story, especially if you've been lurking (don't worry, I do that too…) I would love to know what you thought of it.

The sequel (not sure what the title is yet) will be up in a few weeks, depending on how much writing time Darth Real Life lends me, especially seeing as I've taken up kickboxing and a military fitness class recently, and them along with everything else I do, chew out a huge lump of my time.

Other than that, enjoy the chapter and thank you so much for everyone who read this fic, and I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Cheers

…Rhi

-----

It was in the early hours of the morning before Laini was cleared for release. Sarini had come to collect her, and Obi-Wan, Tahl and Remy walked with them to their house, before continuing on to Obi-Wan's house so he could collect his things.

The house seemed eerily empty without his family there, so Obi-Wan tried to collect his things as fast as possible, so he could get out of the house. In a canvas backpack, he packed his clothes and the few personal items he had, and as a last minute thought, added a holopic of his family, as a reminder of where he had come from. He took one last, nostalgic look around the house before they left and went back to the hotel where Tahl and Remy were staying, so they could get a few hours sleep for the rest of the night.

* * *

Obi-Wan woke early in the morning to someone gently shaking him awake. He opened his eyes and rubbed them, momentarily wondering where he was, before he remembered the events of the previous day.

"Good morning, sleepyhead." Remy greeted Obi-Wan.

Obi-Wan sleepily mumbled his own greeting.

"Are you ready to leave?" Tahl asked.

"Yeah." Obi-Wan replied, nodding.

The two Jedi stood. "Let's go then." They shouldered their small packs and stepped towards the door. Obi-Wan followed suit with his own backpack and followed them out the door.

Tahl checked out at the front desk, and requested transportation to the docking port, where their ship was waiting.

The ride to the docking port was short and they were met by the same two CorSec representatives that had met them two days ago, Commander Deine Paq and Officer Oster Rush.

Commander Paq went straight to the point. "We have already loaded Ris Threm onto your transport. He is under sedation and shouldn't wake until you get there. He is still slightly under the effects of the tranq that was used on his yesterday, so you should expect some convulsions, but they should be mild."

"Thank you for your assistance, Commander." Tahl said. "Now we must really be on our way."

"Have a good trip." The Commander said, before turning and leaving, the Officer following him.

Tahl and Remy started to walk off towards the ship, and Obi-Wan lagged behind, looking around. He'd hoped that Laini would come, so he could say one final goodbye to his best friend.

He saw that Remy and Tahl had already gone up the ramp and entered the ship, so Obi-Wan looked one last time towards the entrance to the docking port, then turned and followed the two Jedi up the ramp, into the ship.

He'd just reached the top of the ramp when he heard his name being called. Obi-Wan turned around to see Laini and Sarini enter the docking bay and Laini began running towards him.

Obi-Wan ran down the ramp and the two 5-year-olds crashed into each other, falling to the ground and going into a roll, the routine familiar to both of them. Obi-Wan controlled the roll, and stopped the roll so that he was on top. "I win, Laini." He said, grinning, knowing that she wouldn't accept a loss.

He felt her push at him, so he let himself be pushed to the side and Laini climbed on top of him. "No, I win." She gave him a grin, which quickly faded. "I'm gonna miss you so much, Obi."

"Me too. You're my best friend." Obi-Wan said.

The two kids got up and dusted themselves off.

Sarini came over and handed Laini a package, which she then handed to Obi-Wan. "This is for you. Don't open it until you've left, okay?"

Obi-Wan nodded. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a shiny red rock, a red so bright that it matched Laini's hair colour perfectly. On the stone, in his childish print, Obi-Wan, with Remy's help, had engraved his name and Laini's name.

"Thank you, Obi." Laini said, wrapping her hands around the stone. She then pulled Obi-Wan into a tight hug.

Obi-Wan pulled away after a while, and accepted a hug from Sarini. "You be good, Obi. Don't get into too much trouble." The grey-haired woman said.

Obi-Wan grinned. "I'll try." He turned towards the ship and saw Remy waiting at the top of the ramp. "I have to go now." He said hesitantly. "Bye."

Sarini and Laini waved as Obi-Wan ran off to the ship. The ramp closed after him and Obi-Wan ran through the ship into the main area, to find a window that he could watch out of as the ship rose into the air.

He watched as the waving figures of Laini and Sarini grew smaller and smaller as the ship got higher and higher into the atmosphere, until he couldn't even make out the docking bay anymore. He watched until the ship entered into the blackness of space, and all that he could see of Corellia, was a gleaming green and blue marble surrounded by blackness.

With nothing left to look at, Obi-Wan sat down on the cushioned couch that was built into the wall. He reached for the wrapped package that Laini had given him, and opened it, pulling out three items. The first was the book that Sarini had taught him to read from, the one with all the Jedi stories that he loved. The second item was a holopic, taken of Laini and Obi-Wan recently. Scrawled on the back of the holopic, in Laini's childish handwriting, were the words 'Friends Forever'. The third item was a stuffed ferbil, Laini's favourite toy.

Obi-Wan looked at as Remy entered the room. "Are you all right?" The dark-haired padawan asked.

Obi-Wan nodded. "Yeah."

"Good." Remy said, a grin forming. "Do you know how to play sabaac?"

"Of course." Obi-Wan said, returning the grin.

Remy winked at the 5-year-old. "Come on then." He said, sitting down at the table, Obi-Wan following suit. He Force-pulled a pack of cards over to him from the shelf. "5 woodsticks says that I win the first round."

Obi-Wan's mouth curved up into a half smile. "Bring it on."

* * *

After an uneventful trip back to Coruscant, the pilot docked the ship at the Jedi Temple at just after 1500 standard hours.

Obi-Wan followed Tahl and Remy off the ship, passing Coruscant Authorities as they came on to collect Ris Threm, who hadn't made a sound for the entire trip.

As they walked through the busy docking area, Obi-Wan stayed close to Remy and Tahl, feeling very shy all of a sudden. He stared ahead at the huge Jedi Temple, recognising it as the building that had been in his dream, but even in the dream, he had not been able to accurately gauge just how huge it really was.

Obi-Wan shook himself out of the amazement, and realised that he had lagged behind Tahl and Remy, so he ran to catch up with them. They had stopped not far ahead, and Tahl was talking to some people, an older man with long, brown hair, and a man in his early twenties, who had long black hair.

"There you are." Tahl said when Obi-Wan joined them. "Obi-Wan, this is Qui-Gon Jinn and his apprentice, Xanatos."

"Hi." Obi-Wan replied, curiously studying the older man.

"Master, it's time that we left." The black-haired young man, Xanatos, said.

Qui-Gon nodded. "Yes, you're right, Padawan. We should be going. See you later."

Qui-Gon and Xanatos walked off in the direction of their ship, and Tahl and Remy led Obi-Wan in the opposite direction. Obi-Wan, still curious about the older Jedi, watched him walk away, before turning and following after Tahl and Remy.

-

Qui-Gon walked towards the ship quickly, then suddenly felt a pull to look back. He did, and his eyes paused on the young boy he had just met. Obi-Wan Kenobi, he thought, wondering why he felt such a pull to the child. Shaking his head, he pushed the thought to the back of his mind and concentrated on the mission ahead. The mission to Telos was not supposed to be a difficult one, but he had a strange feeling about it that would not leave him be.

-

Obi-Wan followed Tahl and Remy up the long set of stairs to the entrance of the temple. At the top of the stairs waited Yoda, his ears twitching and heavy-lidded eyes looking sleepy.

"Obi-Wan Kenobi, you must be." Yoda said. "Welcome, you are. Far to come, far to go it is. Cold and warm it is. Seek what you are looking for you will. Find it here you shall. Listen."

THE END


End file.
